


In Bloom

by transtobio



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Drama, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 15:46:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10029959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transtobio/pseuds/transtobio
Summary: Kageyama thought the rest of his life was set in stone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there Jasper! I know I messaged you early on to double check what you wanted, and so I really hope you like this! Also let me know if you have an ao3 and I'll gift it to you :)

Kageyama watched a scale teeter from one side to another, jarred by the wind that a closing door had generated. There were no weights on either side, and yet the scale could not keep still. It teetered back and forth, back and forth. If he didn't know better, Kageyama would believe the scale to be faulty, or even haunted.

Fortunately for him, Kageyama did, in fact, know better. He knew that the scale had been enchanted to never sit still. and that this had been done in order to combat the eventual rust. He had no idea if it actually _did_ that, but it sounded like something that would work. Sugawara, the owner of the shop Kageyama worked at, clearly thought the same, which is why he put it on the counter and in clear view of the front windows. It was possible a passerby might see it, and become enchanted with a neverstopping scale. They might even enter the shop and buy something.

Kageyama didn't think they needed customers _that_ badly. 'Two Birds, One Stone' was a humble magical shop tucked into a corner of Tokyo, on a street no one could quite remember, yet it still had a healthy influx of customers. Most of them were magical folk, but every now and then someone would stumble in that was clearly human. Most of the time, they would simply be given a pouch of lucky herbs and sent along their way. Sometimes, if Sugawara was the one on duty, they would be given something a bit more _potent_ , and this usually got both the customer and Sugawara into trouble with magical folk. He never seemed bothered by the anger from other witches, in fact Kageyama knew Sugawara found it rather entertaining.

He didn't like cleaning up after Sugawara, either, but he supposed it was his job. At least Sugawara liked him, and agreed to his request to put plants in the shop. They only took up a tiny corner of the shop, but taking care of them was one of Kageyma's favorite tasks.

He often spent hours sitting in the plant corner, simply soaking in the residual energy they gave off. Tokyo didn't have a lot of greenery compared to Kageyama's hometown, and as a nature witch he sorely missed it.

Kageyama could never return home, though, so he supposed he would have to get used to Tokyo's barren landscape sooner or later.

He blinked when he saw the scales tilt ominously, and he felt the gentle gush of wind that had moved them. Kageyama looked towards the front of the shop, only to see two people come in through the open door and close it quickly behind them. They had jackets on and hoods up, even though it was a clear and sunny day. Kageyama realized just why they were so covered the instant they lowered their hoods: the two of them were werecats.

Not just _any_ werecats, however. Kuroo and Kenma were frequent customers at the shop, and Kageyama had become quickly acquainted with them the year he'd been in Tokyo. Kuroo loved to come here and pester Sugawara, under the guise of needing potions for his clan, and Sugawara thought him too entertaining to shoo away. Kenma was his most frequent companion, though Kuroo often brought two others with him. Lately, though, its just been him and Kenma coming to the shop.

"Yo, Kageyama." Kuroo called, pretending to browse a nearby shelf. "Where's your boss?"

"Sugawara-san is out on business," Kageyama replied, hoping Kuroo wouldn't knock over a plant again. "He's collecting ingredients."

Kuroo's ears flattened in obvious disappointment, and he sighed. "Oh well. Do you have the potion I ordered last week?"

Kageyama skimmed the logbook on the counter, and then knelt down to rummage through one of the cupboards. He found a bright blue potion with a label reading, "Kuroo, no. 17." and put it on the counter. Kuroo strolled over to examine it, and hummed with satisfaction. "That's it. Here's the second half of my payment."

Kageyama accepted the coins with a nod, and was about to put them away when he felt eyes on him. He looked to see Kenma staring at him from across the shop, ears cocked in fascination. He had a hand on one of the pots, and it happened to be the pot of a plant Kageyama had spent months nursing back to life. Some plants got stubborn after being malnourished, and that one had been _quite_ the project. Now, though, the plant bloomed confidently while the sun set. Kageyama was quite proud of it.

Not that Kenma knew that, of course. No one except Sugawara (and maybe Ennoshita) would know that Kageyama liked to care for the plants after hours.

Kenma noticed Kageyama staring at him and looked away, but he didn't take his hand off of the pot just yet. His claws scraped against the pot slightly as he felt around the brim of it, and Kageyama wondered just what he was doing.

"Kenma, are you ready?" Kuroo asked, startling Kageyama. "Oooh, that's a beautiful flower."

"I think so too," Kenma said quietly, and he glanced at Kageyama once more before the two of them left.

Kageyama looked at the door for a minute, then his eyes moved to the plant in question. He glanced out the window to see if any customers were coming in, but no one was around.

He left his station and walked over to the plant corner, curious about what Kenma had been doing. He examined the flower from head to toe, and even checked the soil composition. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Then why had Kenma been so fascinated with it?

Kageyama heard a door slam and flinched, his gaze turned towards the front door. It remained closed, which meant someone had come in from the back. That person was likely Sugawara, which meant Kageyama had no worries.

Just in case, though, he returned to his station before Sugawara could come in. "Kageyama! I'm back!"

"Welcome back, Sugawara-san." Kageyama noticed the other's hands were covered in dirt, and he envied him. "How was it?"

"Oh, fantastic!" Sugawara said, smiling brightly. "The guy I got them from is really hands on, he had me pull roots out and everything! You really should come sometime, Kageyama."

"I'll pass."

"Aww, too bad." Sugawara seemed to remember something, as he continued. "He even threw in a few plant clippings for free after I told him about how much you love taking care of them. I put them in the back."

"Thank you," Kageyama was pretty sure that they were just weeds (like they always were) but he appreciated the thought.

Sugawara hummed, already done with the conversation. His eyes flew to something across the shop, and Sugawara sent a gentle wind to disturb some dust trying to accumulate. He liked to use his wind magic for simply tasks like tidying up the shop, which Kageyama liked because it made his own job easier. He already had a fairly cushy job tending to the plants and shop front, but sometimes Sugawara got him involved in huge messes. Kageyama would take what he could get.

"Did anyone come in while I was gone?" Sugawara asked.

Kageyama was about to shake his head when he remembered Kuroo. "Kozume-san and Kuroo-san did. You just missed them."

"What a shame," Sugawara said, but Kageyama noticed him smile. "I guess I'll just have to see them another time."

"Kuroo-san asked about you," Kageyama added. "He'll probably be back next week."

"I hope not," Sugawara said dryly, and turned pink. "I'm beginning to think he doesn't need potions as often as he claims."

Kageyama was about to reply when the front door slammed open, and then shut. "Finished with my errands!"

Hinata huffed and nearly keeled over in the front of the shop, and Kageyama sighed. "Idiot, you're supposed to use the back door."

"That's too far," Hinata complained, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Besides, Sugawara-san doesn't mind. Right?"

"... Yeah, I don't really care." Sugawara said after a pointed stare from Kageyama. "Really, you should use the back, but it doesn't matter to me. Just don't let Ennoshita catch you."

"Right!" Hinata said, standing up suddenly. "Kageyama! When do you get off shift?"

"In an hour," Kageyama replied dryly. He already knew Hinata wanted to use him as an excuse to eat out. "Go home."

"Oh, you can leave early." Sugawara said airily, "I doubt we'll have any more customers today, and I can close up shop."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Sugawara pat Kageyama on the back, ignorant of his strength. "Go have dinner with Hinata."

"Thanks Sugawara-san!" Hinata said as Kageyama entered the back room. "I'll just wait in here!"

"Go wait in the back Hinata!"

Kageyama sighed, and hung up his apron. He would have to look at the cuttings later.

"You took _forever_ ," Hinata complained the moment Kageyama opened the back alley door. "I almost became a puddle. A puddle, Kageyama!"

"People don't turn into puddles," Kageyama said as they walked onto the main road.

"That's what you think," Hinata sniffed. "I saw a water witch turn into one."

"That's because they're a water witch, duh. Not human."

"Well, _I'm_ not human either." Hinata said, and nearly walked into a busy street.

Kageyama caught his collar just in time, and held him in place. "Pay attention."

"Its just so noisy here! I can't focus!" Hinata said, rubbing his temples. "Its nothing like the mountains... That was so quiet, and peaceful."

Kageyama couldn't help but agree. Nature was everywhere in the rural area he and Hinata had come from. He couldn't walk two feet without disturbing earth, and his entire being was alit with knowledge about the nearby trees, flowers, and dirt. He had spent entire days exploring forests, and could trust the environment to take care of him as he slept.

In the city, however, Kageyama was on his own. There were tiny specks of greenery, but the information he gained from them was minimal. If he concentrated right now, he could learn about a flower trying to grow nearby. It had a little patch of soil, and a nearby drain for water. Kageyama doubted it would actually grow. It was in the middle of a busy sidewalk, after all.

If he _really_ concentrated, Kageyama heard the quiet whispers of trees. The trees were no longer there, though. They had been chopped down years ago during the rapid expansion of the city, but they had lived long enough to leave their mark on the environment. The trees couldn't tell Kageyama anything that he didn't already know, though, and they were quite depressing to listen to. They simply reminded Kageyama of what was no longer there.

Kageyama really missed the mountains he had grown up in. He didn't miss the _people_ , of course, but he missed the nature everywhere.

If only Tokyo was different...

Kageyama felt the itch that was his magic trying to break free, and he clamped down on his thoughts. He couldn't afford for his magic to get out of control on such a busy street, even if Hinata was next to him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Speaking of Hinata... Kageyama glanced at him, and saw that he had a hand hovering over Kageyama's shoulder. "We can just go home if you want."

"I'm fine," Kageyama said after a moment, and he took a deep breath.

His magic calmed down just a bit, and Kageyama knew that if he distracted himself the itch would fade. It always did.

Hinata gave him a weird look, and dropped his hand. "If you're sure-"

"-If you beat me to the restaurant, I'll buy you two beef slices for your ramen."

Hinata was immediately distracted by the prospect of food, and his eyes lit up. "You're on!"

 

* * *

 

Kageyama walked into work with Hinata the next day, exhausted after a fitful night of sleep. Hinata often talked in his sleep, rather loudly, and there was no way Kageyama could muffle him. He was tempted to throw a pillow at him, but the last time that happened Hinata screamed and unleashed a magical burst so powerful it knocked out power for an entire block.

 _That_ had gotten them in some trouble.

Instead, Kageyama quietly suffered throughout the night. He wasn't looking forward to work that day.

Unfortunately for him, 'Two Birds, One Stone' happened to have an especially busy morning. Hinata was sent off immediately with several packages to deliver, and Sugawara had Kageyama keep watch on potions for a good chunk of the morning. It was all Kageyama could do not to fall face first into a cauldron.

Thankfully, Sugawara felt merciful enough to put Kageyama on plant duty the latter half of the morning. All he had to do was water them and check for any issues they might be having. Kageyama could do that in his _sleep_.

He spent the rest of the morning tucked into the corner of the shop, taking his time with each pot before moving onto the next. Kageyama may have been dawdling a bit, but it didn't seem like Sugawara minded. After an initial rush, few customers came in, which made his job at the counter rather boring. Sugawara asked Kageyama about the plants every now and then, but he was mostly silent.

Kageyama had just finished the last plant when he heard a clock ring. It was a tinny little sound, but Kageyama knew what it meant: it was time for his lunch break.

He nodded to Sugawara, who was already munching on onigiri at his station, and slipped into the back room. It functioned as a break room, despite there only being four consistent workers at the shop, but that meant that it was always quiet. Kageyama liked to have his lunches there, especially since he was rarely bothered.

He had just taken his lunch out of the microwave when he heard the back door open, and Kageyama winced. Hopefully it was just Ennoshita clocking in, and not Hinata.

Kageyama was both right _and_ wrong. He glanced over to see Ennoshita holding Hinata by the collar of his shirt and _wow_ , Ennoshita must really be strong because Hinata was a foot off of the floor. Ennoshita walked over to the foldout table Kageyama was sitting at and deposited Hinata into one of the seats. Hinata didn't make a peep the entire time, and Kageyama knew that Ennoshita had already chastised him.

"Hinata, stop bothering the clients." Ennoshita said after a minute. "They didn't ask for a million questions with their orders."

"I was just curious," Hinata grumbled, but he quieted under Ennoshita's glare.

Ennoshita sighed again, and looked at Kageyama. He seemed to be looking for any sign of mischief, but all Kageyama had was a pair of chopsticks and a rapidly cooling lunch. Whatever Ennoshita saw pleased him, because he pat the top of Kageyama's head and then Hinata's. "I'm going to be working on some potions, don't come into the side room."

"Okay," Hinata and Kageyama said in unison, both used to this treatment from Ennoshita.

It was to be expected, considering Ennoshita was significantly older than them. Sugawara was as well, but unlike Ennoshita his age was a mystery. All they knew was that Sugawara was older than Ennoshita, who was nearly 24. Hinata speculated that Sugawara was an ancient witch who had discovered the secret to immortality, and sometimes Kageyama believed him. Sugawara just seemed to know so much about _everything_.

"That looks tasty," Hinata said, leaning forward.

Kageyama pushed Hinata's face away before he could try anything. "Y _our_ lunch is in the fridge, dumbass."

Hinata grumbled but headed over to said fridge, complaining that he didn't even know how to use a microwave a few months ago. What if he set the building on fire again Kageyama? Did he ever think of that?

Kageyama knew Hinata wouldn't purposefully waste food though, which is why he felt comfortable leaving the back room the instant he finished his own lunch.

Sugawara raised an eyebrow when he saw Kageyama enter. "I heard quite the commotion."

"Ennoshita-san came back with Hinata. The idiot was bothering customers again," Kageyama said as he put on his apron.

Sugawara laughed. "That sounds like him," He started untying his own apron once Kageyama got situated. "I'm going to check on Ennoshita and assign Hinata the rest of his deliveries."

Kageyama nodded, and privately thought that giving Hinata more deliveries after _that_ was a bad idea. Nonetheless, Sugawara disappeared into the back room.

An hour later, Kageyama flipped through a book as he sat in front of the shop's counter. Sugawara hadn't come back, which wasn't a surprise, but this meant that Kageyama was the only one working the front. He had little to do, considering no customers had come in nor even glanced at the store. Kageyama wondered how a shop could stay open despite having numerous dead hours, but he supposed that was the nature of business.

Another hour passed, and Kageyama was intensely bored. He had swept, dusted the shelves, and finished the book he had brought in, but nothing was entertaining him. He needed something to do.

His gaze moved over to the plants, and Kageyama wondered if they would be okay with being watered again. He knew immediately it was a bad idea; drowning a plants roots was one of the cruelest things you could do to them. Most of them were low-maintenance plants, too, so they hardly needed any watering.

Really, Kageyama didn't need to take care of them as often as he did. He still continued to do so,  mostly because that was what he was used to. His old home in the mountains had been full of rare and exotic plants; one had needed to be pruned every hour of the full moon, or it wouldn't bloom for a year. He missed those plants, they had been a delight to care for.

Kageyama wondered who was taking care of them now that he was gone. He supposed Oikawa was the only nature witch around talented enough to do so-

"-Kageyama? _Tobio_?" He heard his name being called, and Kageyama snapped to attention.

It was Sugawara, and he appeared to have just come in from the back. He was pointing at the plant corner, and smiling awkwardly. "You're making them grow."

Kageyama looked towards where he was pointing, and noticed that several of the plants had outgrown their pots in a matter of seconds. One, a vine, had knocked itself off its trellis and appeared to be crawling towards him. The air was heavy with pollen, despite it being the middle of winter.

"I-I'm sorry." Kageyama said, face red. He had let his magic go out of control _again_. "I'll fix them."

Sugawara looked like he wanted to laugh, but he pat Kageyama's shoulder instead. "Its fine. Are you sure you don't need lessons?"

"I don't." Kageyama replied instantly, wishing he could take that back the moment he said it.

Sugawara looked like he didn't believe him, and he stared at him for another long second.

Kageyama's pride lost, and he shuffled his feet before saying, "Actually, that would be a good idea."

"I'm glad you agree with me Kageyama. Tidy up the flowers, and then we'll close up shop and I can give you a quick lesson."

"Thank you."

Kageyama wished he could control his magic like he used to.

 

* * *

 

A week later, Kageyama is watering the now-smaller plants when Sugawara bursts in from the break room. He nearly broke the door of its hinges in his panic, and Sugawara huffed for a moment before saying, "Kageyama. You have to help me."

"What is it?"

"I spilt a potion. We need to clean it up before Ennoshita comes in."

Kageyama felt panic the moment Sugawara mentioned Ennoshita, and he realized just how much of a disaster this could be. Ennoshita was really particular about the potion room, and wouldn't hesitate to chew out Sugawara even though he was his boss. It was funny to watch, but it wasn't as funny to experience.

He left his apron in the front room and accompanied Sugawara through the back room, storage room, and finally to the potions room. Kageyama could see a sickly purple liquid seeping into the tile, and Sugawara threw a rag at him before he could blink. "We've got to hurry."

Kageyama nodded, and ten minutes later there was little evidence of a spill. Sugawara smiled in accomplishment, and stared at the pristine room. "Ennoshita won't know what happened."

Then, still smiling, he deposited a pile of damp rags in Kageyama's hands. "Go throw these in the back, we can't have Ennoshita figuring out what happened."

"Your hands might turn purple for a few days, but you should be okay." He added as an afterthought, and shooed Kageyama out of the potions room.

Kageyama blinked, but did as Sugawara requested. He wasn't paid to ask questions, and (if Ennoshita found out) he could be considered an instigator.

Thankfully, neither Hinata nor Ennoshita were in, which meant there was no one there to see him slip into the back alley to dispose of the evidence. When he stepped into the alley, however, he nearly knocked over a cat that had been perched near the back door. The cat hissed and bolted towards the dumpster, jumping on top and sitting directly in the center. Kageyama sighed when this happened, and knew he would have to disturb the cat further before he could leave it alone. Kageyama was horrible with animals.

Maybe if he talked nicely to the cat it would move?

"Sorry, can you move?" Kageyama asked a moment later, aware of how ridiculous he sounded.

A moment later, he realized that it wasn't just _any_ cat, it was a werecat. In fact, he took a closer look and realized it was Kenma.

Kenma (still in cat form) stared at him for a moment, but then shifted back into his 'human' form. He looked big sitting on top of the dumpster, even though Kageyama knew that Kenma was hardly taller than Hinata. "How did you know it was me?"

Kageyama realized the question was aimed towards him, and replied. "Magic."

Kenma huffed, but appeared to accept his answer. He stared at Kageyama again for a moment, but finally climbed off the dumpster. "... What happened to your hands?"

"Potion accident." Kageyama replied as he opened the dumpster to get rid of the rags.

"Where's Kuroo-san?" Kageyama heard himself ask, and resisted the urge to wipe his hands on his pants.

Kenma had already pulled up his hoodie before he spoke. "He's inside flirting with Koushi. I didn't want to be there."

Kageyama couldn't help but agree, and reflexively snorted. He wanted to cover his mouth, but then he would get purple all over his face.

He supposed it was okay since Kenma appeared amused as well. A moment of silence passed between them, and Kageyama was about to excuse himself when he saw Kenma's ears perk up under his hoodie. "What kind of magic do you specialize in?"

"I'm a nature witch?" Kageyama replied, confused why he would ask. Not many people were curious about Kageyama, his mystery paled in comparison to Sugawara's.

"Ah, Shouyou thought so too." Kenma said after a moment.

"... He already _knows_ I'm a nature witch-wait, you two know each other?"

Kenma nodded, face pink. "I met him on one of his deliveries. He was lost."

He seemed embarrassed, so Kageyama wasn't about to question him. The story seemed likely enough.

Kenma's eyes shifted towards the alley entrance, and Kageyama saw his tail swish. "Kuroo's calling for me."

Kageyama watched Kenma hustle out of the alley quickly, confused about why he had stuck around to talk to himKageyama in the first place.

That had been their first conversation, after all.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama eagerly anticipated going home towards the end of the day- not only had his shift been stressful, but he _also_ received a lesson from Sugawara and was feeling physically, magically, and emotionally drained. Unfortunately for him, Hinata reminded him that they were out of groceries and would have to eat out. Kageyama suspected that Hinata just wanted to eat at a restaurant, even though he knew how expensive it was.

Thankfully, all Kageyama had to do was follow Hinata to a ramen stall and sit down. He didn't even have to order; Hinata sensed his exhaustion and did it for him. Normally, Kageyama would be weirded out that someone knew him so well, but it was the nature of his and Hinata's relationship. Witches and their familiars knew everything about each other, whether they liked it or not.

Kageyama was halfway through his meal when he remembered the conversation he had had with Kenma earlier that day. He turned to Hinata, who was in the middle of his second bowl, and asked, "Do you know Kozume-san?"

"Yesh!" Hinata replied, mouth full of food.

Kageyama grimaced, but Hinata swallowed before he continued, "I met him on a delivery! Don't tell him I told you, but he accidentally ate some catnip and went berserk. I had to calm him down before he told me that he was lost too."

Kageyama had a hard time imagining the stoic Kenma hyped up on catnip, but he supposed stranger things had happened.

"Kenma-san is really cool! I talked to him about the weird magic flows in Tokyo before someone from his clan found him," Hinata frowned. "I was late with that delivery, though."

"I'm not surprised."

"I'm usually on time, I swear!" Hinata thought for a moment, and looked at Kageyama. "Have _you_ ever talked to Kenma-san?"

"I did today. He was on top of the dumpster when I was taking out trash."

Hinata giggled, "Was he stuck up there?"

"No, he was waiting for Kuroo-san to come out of the store."

"Weird. Why didn't he go in with him?"

"Sugawara-san was in," Kageyama didn't need to say anything else; it was clear Hinata understood.

"He seemed confused about my magic," Kageyama said after a second. "What did you tell him?"

"I just told him you liked plants," Hinata appeared amused by something, but Kageyama didn't know what. "What did he ask?"

"He just asked what type of magic I specialize in."

"Hmm," Hinata hummed, but didn't give Kageyama any more information.

Kageyama, in return, huffed. "You _know_ I'm a nature witch, right?'

Hinata laughed all of a sudden. "Of course I know!"

"Why didn't you just tell him then?"

"I wanted to give him an excuse to talk to you."

"... Why would he need a reason to talk to me?" Kageyama asked.

Hinata went silent, and remained so for the rest of the meal. Kageyama figured he just didn't want to say anything, which is why he was surprised when Hinata replied in the middle of their walk home.

"You two are my friends and I want you to get along."

That made sense, in a very Hinata-like way. Kageyama was considered a recluse, so perhaps this was Hinata's attempt at making him socialize. He had enjoyed talking to Kenma, even though it had been a weird conversation.

Kageyama appreciated Hinata's effort, but he didn't understand why he would bother.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama was working a fairly normal shift when Ennoshita poked his head out of the back room. He had heard him come in, but Ennoshita rarely came to the front of the store so Kageyama didn't expect to see him. Thus, he felt it was appropriate to stare at Ennoshita while he talked, not taking a step inside the room but still obviously in it.

"Can you come with Hinata on a delivery? The last time he gave this person a package they ended up complaining to me about him."

Kageyama took a moment to glance around the store, realizing that there was no one in it. Still... "I'm supposed to be working the front desk."

"I can do that." Ennoshita said, and took a step inside the shop. He even grabbed an apron. "It would be better if you went with Hinata, you know how to handle him."

Kageyama was suspicious about Ennoshita's motives, but he still found himself in the back alley five minutes later. Hinata was coming in late from his last delivery, which was both unwelcome and unsurprising.

When Hinata finally showed up, he didn't seem surprised by Ennoshita's intervention. In fact, he appeared almost thankful, and led Kageyama to the delivery place with little complaint. Kageyama watched Hinata clutch the package in his hands, and wondered why he was acting weird.

"I'll talk to them," Kageyama said as they stood in an elevator. "Just hold the package."

Hinata smiled a bit and nodded. Kageyama thought that his words must have helped, because he seemed less hesitant when the arrived on their floor.

"Its over here," Hinata said, pointing to the end of the hall. "The guy is tall and has weird hair."

"Weird hair like yours?" Kageyama sniped, ringing on a doorbell. "Red isn't exactly common."

"Is too," Hinata grumbled, stood behind Kageyama.

Kageyama agreed with Hinata's initial statement the minute the door opened. The guy _was_ tall, and had short, curling blonde hair. That was probably more common in Tokyo than the rest of Japan, but it still wasn't something seen every day.

Then again, Sugawara's hair was a strange shade of grey and Kageyama saw him nearly every day. Maybe it was a witch thing.

"We're delivering a package from Two Birds, One Stone." Kageyama said after a moment, using his best dealing-with-customers voice.

It apparently didn't work well. The tall man smiled thinly, and said. "Did the other delivery boy get fired for making wisecracks?"

"I'm still here!" Hinata piped up from behind Kageyama. "He's just with me this time."

"A bodyguard?" Tsukishima said as Hinata handed him a package. "Or maybe a babysitter? He needs one."

"Payment, please." Kageyama said stiffly. He didn't like this guy.

"Right," the man dug into a pocket and pulled out a handful of coins, putting them in Kageyama's out turned hand.

There was a spark of magic the moment their hands touch, and Kageyama winced. This guy was a wind witch, and a pretty strong one.

The man raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested in Kageyama. "What's a nature witch doing in Tokyo? There's no nature coven around here."

This was a question Kageyama always dreaded answering. He thought things were more advanced in Tokyo, and that few witches were in covens anymore. This did not hold true for the majority of witches he met, and he was surprised to hear that Ennoshita had been in a coven up until recently. He thought he'd fit in a little more.

"Its none of your business," Kageyama said finally, ready to bolt to the elevator.

This only made the other man more curious. "No coven? You must be a drifter then."

His words dripped with contempt, and this reminded Kageyama _why_ he left his coven. He hated witches who thought they were better just because they were together. Kageyama had been by himself for almost a year, and he was doing fine... Relatively speaking.

However, it was the other's next words that really made Kageyama angry. "I have no idea why such an... _untrained_ witch would be a drifter."

Kageyama heard something break, and saw a green mass grow out of the corner of his eye. The mass passed into his field of vision, and he realized it was part of a plant. The plant was making a beeline for the other man's face, and Kageyama couldn't wait to see it hit him.

Only, the plant didn't. Kageyama watched it stop centimeters before his face, and saw his eyes widen. Kageyama became aware of a pressure on his shoulder, and he realized it was Hinata's hand which was glowing white. His eyes were glowing as well, and he stared over Kageyama's shoulder in a way which was distinctly unsettling. "Kageyama. Calm down."

Kageyama sighed, but did as Hinata asked. He took a deep breath and willed the plant back to the pot (at least as well as he could.) Then, he mustered up his dignity and turned to the tall man. "So-"

He was cut off by a voice inside the apartment. "Tsukishima, stop antagonizing people. You've already got a warning for fighting earlier."

The man (Tsukishima) flinked suddenly and grumbled, "Yes, Daichi-san."

"If his familiar hadn't intervened, I  would have let that plant hit you in the face."

"Yes, Daichi-san." Tsukishima turned back to Kageyama and Hinata, and mustered up the remnants of his dignity. "...Well, at least you have a familiar."

Kageyama didn't want to get into any more trouble, so he simply nodded and turned to Hinata. He still glowed faintly, but appeared to be unaffected by the event that just transpired. Kageyama noticed his hand had slipped down to his arm, however, and reassessed his initial assumption: Hinata wanted to leave as much as he did.

Hinata still hadn't let go of Kageyama by the time they got to the elevator, however, so he felt the need to speak up. "I'm fine."

It was clear that Hinata didn't believe him, but his grip lessened after a second. He looked completely human after that, and Kageyama was suddenly glad no one else had been around. For all intents and purposes, Hinata _was_ human. However, he could control magic at a degree higher than even the most skilled witch, despite having no magic himself. He simply took from the environment, and he told Kageyama that it was an unconscious thing.

No one was sure what Hinata _really_ was, not even himself.

Kageyama realized that he had been staring at Hinata, and coughed. "Lets not tell anyone about this."

Hinata nodded quickly, and looked relieved. "You sure?"

"I'm sure."

 

* * *

 

Kageyama felt especially antisocial the next day, and he was thankful that Sugawara was on shift to deal with any chatty customers. He even got relegated to plant duty during the afternoon again.

Kageyama didn't want to deal with people he didn't know so soon after the incident with Tsukishima, and frankly didn't trust himself to either. He always got touchy after a magical outburst.

Fortunately, the next customers to walk in were Kuroo and Kenma. Kageyama hid himself in the plant corner, even though he knew Kuroo was only there for Sugawara. He had no idea why Kenma accompanied him more often than not, but Kageyama liked Kenma so he didn't really care. Kenma was quiet and seemed to like plants as much as Kageyama did, and he often hid in the corner when Kuroo's flirting got particularly embaressing.

Kageyama focused on watering the plants as he heard Kuroo and Sugawara chatter; most were due for a trimming, honestly, but he hated doing that and always put it off until the last minute. It made him feel uncomfortable, like the feeling experienced after cutting fingernails. He imagined that the plants didn't like it either.

"That's a pretty flower." Kageyama heard next to him, and he flinched so hard he dropped the watering can.

He knelt down to pick it up, trying to catch a glimpse of the person talking to him before he stood back up. Kageyama realized it was Kenma, and wondered when the other had sneaked up on him. "Its really just a weed. Sugawara-san likes it, though, so he keeps it around."

Kenma nodded, and looked at the plant again. "How do you take care of them?"

Was Kenma interested in getting some plants? "Most plants just need routine watering and trimming every now and then...."

Kageyama trailed off when Kenma's gaze flickered to him, and then back to the plants. "You don't use magic?"

"... Most plants don't need magic to grow," Kageyama answered after a moment. "Plus, magic can overload and kill them."

Kenma hummed in response, and touched the flower Kageyama had been watering. "They want you to use your magic, though."

"They?"

"The plants," Kenma said simply, and waited for Kageyama to speak.

Kageyama stared at the ground, at a loss for words. He knew that Kenma was right; in the months he'd been taking care of them, the plants had grown attached to Kageyama. Their leaves fluttered in greeting whenever he walked by, and one time a flower bloomed while he was repotting it. If he wasn't careful, the plants would take his magic for themselves when he was unaware- they were greedy and didn't understand his hesitance.

"I don't want to hurt them," Kageyama said quietly, hoping both Kenma and the plants understood him.

Kenma did, at least. His eyes lit up for a second, and he was about to speak when Kuroo interrupted him, "Kenma, its time to go."

Kageyama watched the two of them leave, hoods up and a parcel in the taller's hand, and wondered why Kenma was so curious about him.

"Kenma seems to like you," Sugawara said after a moment of silence, and Kageyama turned towards him.

Sugawara had a small smile on his face, which often occurred after Kuroo left. He usually got lost in his thoughts the moment the door closed, but Kageyama's socialization piqued his curiosity.

He wandered over to the flowers Kageyama had been taking care of and plucked the watering can out of his hands to place it on a nearby shelf. He then stood in front of Kageyama, an expectant look on his face.

"We've talked before," Kageyama replied, realizing that Sugawara expected him to answer the unspoken question.

"Oh? What do you two talk about?"

"Kenma-san wanted to know how I take care of the plants."

Sugawara hummed. "He can probably tell your magic is out of balance. Did you tell him you used to know how to control it?"

Kageyama felt his face turn red immediately. How did Sugawara know that? Who told him? "How did you-"

"I knew from the beginning," Sugawara said, a smile on his face. "But if you really want to know, a friend of mine is part of your old coven."

"... D-Did you tell them I'm here?" Kageyama asked, dreading the answer.

"Of course not," Sugawara said, and huffed. "What kind of person do you think I am, Kageyama? I'm not _that_ insensitive."

"Thank you." Kageyama felt breathless all of a sudden, and added. "I'm getting better at controlling it."

"You are, but you're plateauing." Sugawara said. "Its like you don't want to get better."

Kageyama didn't want to tell Sugawara how right he was.

"I wish you would've told me from the beginning, but I also understand why you didn't."

Kageyama nodded, and felt properly chastised.

"Do you know _why_ your magic got out of balance?"

"Yes."

"Can you fix it?"

"No."

Sugawara sighed. "You've pretty much given up on it, haven't you?" He asked, and pat Kageyama's shoulder. "Its okay, I understand."

"Do you?"

"Yep. You know, my magic used to be unstable too," Sugawara winked. "It got better once I reached out for help. Did you know that rebalancing your magic causes you to become more powerful?"

Kageyama shook his head, and dreaded what it would be like if his magic ever settled back down.

"Before, I could only change into two birds. Now, I can change into _four_ ," Sugawara said triumphantly, and Kageyama gaped.

"Four?" Most wind witches could only change into two, if they were lucky.

"Four," Sugawara nodded in confirmation. "Don't tell anyone that by the way. I don't want people gossiping about me even more."

"I won't," Kageyama said, disappointed that he couldn't tell Hinata.

"Anyways, back to my original point. Don't give up yet, okay?"

Kageyama nodded, and the two of them were startled when they heard the door to the back room slam open. "Does anyone know what happened to that purple potion I was working on?"

Sugawara paled, and Kageyama braced himself for an Ennoshita-style scolding.

At least he could blame his boss.

 

* * *

 

_Kageyama knew he had to get away._

_He looked left, right, anywhere for an opening. Darkness curled around him, cloaked in the luscious smell of flowers. He was normally comforted by the scent, but this only incited further panic. This meant that_ others _were near, and would probably find him soon. He couldn't be found._

_Kageyama groped around in the darkness, and desperately searched for an opening out of the darkness. The plants around him were unyielding and haughty; why should they bend for him, of all people?_

_In the end, he finally found a way out. There was a vine that decided to be merciful, and parted under his hand. He could see a glimpse of the night sky, and felt hope. If he could just find the north star, he could figure out where to go._

_Kageyama took a step forward, and felt the ground disappear. The  wind rushed around him as he tumbled forward endlessly, and his hands searched for a branch to grab onto. He'd rather die than be found-_

"-Wake up Kageyama!"

Kageyama felt someone shake him, and realized that he was surrounded by sheets and was not falling at all. His eyes opened, and it took him a second to focus on who had woken him up.

It was Hinata, and he appeared to be more distressed than Kageyama. His hair was frizzing at the ends, and his entire body glowed with an eerie white light. He had no visible pupils, but Kageyama knew he was looking at him. "You took forever to wake up!"

"What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare," Hinata explained, but he did not tone down his powers. "It was so bad you made the plants outside grow again."

Kageyama winced, and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. He still felt weightless and airy, and tried to ground himself- he was in his room, there's blankets over his legs and a bed under him, Hinata's trying to break his arm single-handedly...

A few minutes later, Kageyama felt like he was okay again. He opened his eyes (when did he close them?) and turned to look at Hinata, who had also settled down. Hinata had his own eyes closed, and appeared to be concentrating.

Kageyama became suddenly aware of just how _dark_ the room was. They normally left the curtains opened at night, relying on the sun to wake them up, but even the stars didn't illuminate the room that night. He glanced at the window just in time to see a large tendril slide down it, and a patch of sky appeared.

He felt deja vu, and thought it might have something to do with the dream. Kageyama wasn't sure, and felt frustrated with the fact that the dream was already fading. Another tendril slid down the window, and Kageyama realized they were plant stems.

His powers had gotten out of control _again_. And it was because of a nightmare... _again_.

Kageyama was done feeling embarrassed. Now he was simply irritated. This never used to happen to him-

"Focus, Kageyama." Hinata said suddenly, and Kageyama concentrated on his breathing and surroundings again.

Ten minutes later, the window was completely free of plant parts, as was the rest of the outside wall. Kageyama peaked outside, only to see a few potted plants sat innocently in the alleyway below. They had managed to reverse his magic's outburst without anyone noticing.

"Well, that's one way to wake up." Hinata said, clearly exhausted.

Kageyama wanted to go back to bed, and threw his blanket back on top of him.

"Oi, don't fall asleep again! We've got to talk about this!"

"There's nothing to talk about," Kageyama said, voice muffled. "It was just a nightmare."

He heard Hinata sigh. "What was it about?"

"Nothing."

A long silence followed, but Kageyama knew he hadn't left. "Kageyama. We need to talk about this."

Kageyama considered never leaving his blanket, but then he remembered he had work in several hours. He finally sat up, removed the blanket, and turned to Hinata. Hinata was sitting at the edge of his bed, and looked like he had aged five years. "You haven't needed my help in a while."

Kageyama nodded, and wondered where he was going with this.

"I was hoping you wouldn't _need_ me by now," Hinata admitted, and sighed. "I don't mind it, but eventually I have to go home you know?"

His gaze switched to the window, and Kageyama already knew what he was going to say. "Well, I have to _find_ my home first."

Kageyama's mood sobered, and he wished he knew how to comfort people in this situation. Hinata liked to pretend his amnesia didn't bother him, but he thought about it every single moment of the day.

Its why Hinata liked to wander the city. He always hoped that he'd find something, some _one_ , that would trigger his memories. He told Kageyama that the oldest memory he had was seeing him passed out under a cliff. Other than that, Hinata knew as much about himself as strangers did.

"Have you remembered anything?" Kageyama asked tentatively, wondering if that would help.

Hinata sighed again. "Not really. I _think_ I was dreaming something when your magic woke me up, but I don't know what it was."

Kageyama knew that wasn't a jab at him, but he felt it all the same. He often forgot that his magic didn't affect just him, but others too.

"... I'm sorry," he said after a moment, and stared at his sheets. "I'm going to work harder on controlling my magic."

"That's not what I want." Hinata said in retaliation. "I want you to get back in _touch_ with your magic."

Kageyama frowned, but he understood.

 

* * *

 

Unfortunately, Kageyama did not get any sleep the rest of the night. Granted, its because the sun came up shortly after Hinata went back to his own bed, but it was also because he couldn't stop thinking about his magic. He had no idea how to regain control of it, and his memories of how he controlled it in the past were murky. He didn't like to think about his life before Tokyo, and it was frankly painful for him.

Kageyama felt like he was starting from scratch with his magic, and it was a deeply uncomfortable feeling.

He locked up the apartment behind him and Hinata, and noticed the other appeared to be asleep on his feet. He could nap on break... Probably.

"Kageyama, Hinata."

He heard someone call out to them, and glanced down the hall. A familar smile greeted him, and Kageyama felt both grateful and uneasy. He forgot Ennoshita was his neighbor.

"You two look tired," The older man said.

Kageyama nodded, and winced when Hinata started drooling on his shoulder. "It was a bad night."

"I can tell. Tanaka's window is covered in ivy."

Kageyama flushed, and he felt Hinata zap to attention. "Crap, we missed that!"

"No need to fix it," Ennoshita said flippantly. "I had him and Nishinoya trim it. They don't have class today anyways."

Hinata sighed in relief, but stood straight at Ennoshita's next words. "Why don't we walk to work together? We're all going the same way anyways."

Whenever Ennoshita wanted to walk together, it usually meant a scolding was in order. Kageyama couldn't think of anything bad he'd done recently other than the outburst last night, and Ennoshita seemed unconcerned with that.

"I heard that you two had an incident with the wind coven's potion maker," Ennoshita said about halfway through the walk. "His name is Tsukishima?"

Kageyama froze, and felt Hinata bump into him. He had completely forgotten about that.

"I-It wasn't _our_ fault," Hinata said, clearly trying to get out of the situation, "He was making fun of Kageyama!"

Kageyama nodded, and attempted to look innocent.

Ennoshita looked unamused, and sighed. "Look, you're not in trouble or anything. They're not going to make this an issue, but I wouldn't recommend going near the wind coven anytime soon."

Kageyama's eyes widened, surprised. He didn't even consider it escalating to a coven issue, but now that he thought about it, it made sense.

"But," Ennoshita continued, "You two need to tell Sugawara-san about it. You _should_ have told him earlier, to be honest."

His stern look turned soft. "You two handled the situation well, but this could have been avoided if you hadn't bothered him, Hinata."

"I just wanted to know what he was making!" Hinata said, and frowned. "I didn't think he'd snap at me."

"If you're that curious about potions, Hinata, you can help me out before deliveries," Ennoshita said as they arrived at the store's back door. "I could use an assistant."

Kageyama shuddered at the thought of helping Ennoshita with potions. He was very meticulous, and entered a sort of 'mode' whenever he was brewing one. Kageyama had heard Ennoshita snap at Sugawara, his _boss_ , for almost spilling a potion. Sugawara had even apologized, and looked like a child scolded by their parent. Helping Ennoshita was a miserable task.

"No thanks," Hinata replied. "My first delivery is to the werecat clan! I haven't seen Kenma in _ages_."

Kageyama had seen Kenma a few days ago, and wondered what Hinata quantified as 'ages.'

He heard humming coming from the front room, and realized that Sugawara had already opened up the front of the store. Ennoshita gave Kageyama and Hinata a look, and they meekly entered the front.

"Hi Kageyama, Hinata. Aren't you supposed to be on delivery, Hinata?" Sugawara frowned. "Don't tell me you forgot where you're going again."

"That's not it," Hinata said, and he nudged Kageyama to speak.

Kageyama resisted the urge to sigh, and together he and Hinata explained the incident they had had with Tsukishima several weeks earlier.

Sugawara did not explode at this news. He didn't even appear to be affected by it. If Kageyama didn't know any better, he'd think that Sugawara didn't _care_.

Then again, he probably didn't. Sugawara wasn't a troublemaker, but he didn't really care about coven politics.This wasn't the first time Kageyama had accidentally butted heads with a neighboring witch, nor was it the first time he'd told Sugawara. He always expected the other to get mad and chastise him, but it wasn't like Sugawara was his coven leader. He didn't demand that sort of authority over Kageyama's life.

Sugawara was, in short, just Kageyama's boss and occasional mentor.

Kageyama liked the simplicity of that, it was a breath of fresh air compared to the coven politics he had had to suffer through most of his life.

"Sugawara-san, you're supposed to be scolding them." Ennoshita's said suddenly, and Kageyama wondered when he had come in.

Sugawara smiled. "I'm sure you already talked to them. I don't really think its that big of a deal, especially since they didn't hurt anyone."

Ennoshita sighed. "It almost _was_ a big deal."

"Yeah, but they clearly regret it."

This appeared to strike a cord with Ennoshita, and he nodded before disappearing into the back room. Hinata, meanwhile, shouted a farewell and ran out of the room.

Kageyama put on his apron, and missed Sugawara's smile turn mischevious. "Next time, go for the chest. People take great offense at losing their eyes."

 

* * *

 

Kageyama worked late that day, and he felt completely exhausted by the time they closed up. There had been an large influx of customers during the last half of his shift, and he had to disappear to the back room several times just to regain his humanity. He could only smile for so long.

Thamkfully, Sugawara had worked alongside him the entire time. He appeared unusually energetic that day, which Kageyama appreciated.

Sugawara almost seemed like he was waiting for something, and that's when Kageyama remembered: Kuroo liked to show up on Fridays, which just happened to be that day. His frequent visits had finally developed a sort of schedule, which meant that _Kenma's_ visits had a schedule, and Kageyama appreciated that immensely.

Neither of them were big talkers, but Kenma liked to ask Kageyama questions about the plants even if he was working at the counter. He didn't appear to be simply humoring Kageyama, which he appreciated immensely.

Kenma had quietly become someone Kageyama considered a friend, even if they only met while he was on shift.

Unfortunately, though, it looked like neither Kenma nor Kuroo was going to show up that day. Kageyama felt disappointed, and Sugawara probably was too. He hadn't dropped the teasing act, but Ennoshita told Kageyama he was close to breaking.

"I hear about Kuroo _constantly_ ," Ennoshita had said. "I've never even met him. This is awful."

"You're not there when they _do_ talk," Kageyama muttered, which made Ennoshita laugh.

Kageyama was about to lock the door when he saw two people walking quickly down the street. He could tell from the oversized hoodies it was Kuroo and Kenma, and he abandoned the door in favor of the plant corner.

"What is it, Kageyama?" Sugawara said, confused until he heard the front door open.

"Please tell me you're not closed yet." Kuroo said between gasps of air.

Kenma merely fell on the ground, and Kageyama was uncertain what to do. Should he get them some water?

"We are closed, in fact." Sugawara said after they had regained their breath. "Sorry."

Kuroo looked defeated. "I guess we'll just come back tomorrow."

"You want a potion, right?" Sugawara asked, the picture of nonchalance.

He waited for Kuroo to nod before he continued, "Why don't you tell me what you want specifically over dinner?"

Kuroo looked like he had been offered the moon. He nudged Kenma, who pushed him in return. "Ouch- that would be a good idea. Are you ready right now?"

"Of course," Sugawara tossed Kageyama the keys. "You can lock up for me. Kenma can stay in case you need any help."

"Kenma doesn't know how to lock up a store-" Kuroo was cut off by an elbow to the rib from Sugawara, and the two of them exited the store silently.

Kageyama stared at the keys in his hand, and at Kenma. He had a spooked look, similar to what Kageyama imagined his own face looked like. Kenma's face turned neutral the moment he realized Kageyama was staring, and he toyed with the strings of his hoodie. "You seem better."

Kageyama had no idea what Kenma was talking about, and personally felt like death. "What do you mean?"

"Your magic," Kenma elaborated. "You've gotten better with it since last week."

Kageyama nodded dubiously, and froze when he saw a tiny smile on Kenma's face. He hadn't seen it before.

Kageyama felt more than heard a plant rustle, and he feared the worst. He looked around to see what it was, and noticed newly-blooming flower. It was a moonflower, which wasn't supposed to have bloomed until later that evening. Kageyama had been considering staying up to see it. even though he had barely slept the night before.

He he realized that his magic must have triggered it. Kageyama took a deep breath, but noticed he felt strangely calm. So why had his magic gotten out of control?

"Are you okay?" Kenma asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Kageyama shrugged. "My magic isn't as in control as you think it is."

Kenma looked irritated all of a sudden. "No, it is. That flower is just reacting to your sparking."

"Sparking?" Kageyama didn't know what Kenma was talking about. He wasn't a wind witch, so he had no affinity with lightning or electricity.

"Sparking. Just a little bit of it was let out," Kenma walked over to the flower, and examined it. "Its not uncommon, even with witches who have control over their magic."

"Oh." Kageyama wondered why Kenma knew so much about witches. "How do you know?"

"I read it in a book." Kenma stroked the flower's petals gently, careful about his claws.

Kageyama watched Kenma for a moment, fascinated. Kenma rarely talked about himself, and Kageyama felt a sudden need to learn more about him. He wanted to know just how much Kenma knew about witches, about magic, about _everything_. He knew that werecats had an affinity with nature, was there stuff about the environment Kenma could sense that Kageyama couldn't?

Kenma cleared his throat. "You should practice your magic. It would help."

Kageyama shook his head. "Hinata's not around."

"I can help."

Kenma's eyes glowed yellow all of a sudden, and his pupils turned into narrow slits. It was then that Kageyama remembered that witches often asked weres to be their familiars.

"Okay," Kageyama heard himself agree, and he regretted those words immediately.

Kenma appeared satisfied, though, and he picked up an empty-looking pot. Kageyama hadn't wanted to take it out of the back room, but he had been concerned about the plant lacking sunlight so he took it to the front. He hoped the plant would grow soon, it was considered an eyesore.

"Can we use this one?" Kenma asked.

"... Yes."

"Alright," Kenma nodded, and placed it in the middle of the room.

Kageyama tried to remember how he had made plants grow in the past. Magic had come to him easily as a child, and he never struggled with it until he left his coven. He'd like to blame them for it, but in truth Kageyama had pushed them too much. He would have to be better so it didn't happen again.

He closed his eyes, and concentrated on sensing the plant (or rather, the potted seed) in front of him. Then, once he had isolated its magic, Kageyama tried to coax it to grow. He just needed to give it a bit of his magic...

The plant burst forth from the soil instantly, and Kageyama opened his eyes to see a stem grow quickly. Then, just as quickly, the plant overgrew the pot, and he heard it shatter. A large bulb appeared on top of the stem, and almost dwarfed him in size

Kageyama panicked. He closed his eyes again and realized the plant had latched onto his magic, and wasn't letting go. He would have to _make_ it.

He felt a slight pressure in his hand, and realized it was Kenma. He soon felt a different, more animalistic, magic mix into his, and knew it was Kenma trying to guide him.

Hinata's magic felt completely different than Kenma's, and Kageyama wasn't sure what to do. In the end, he let himself be directed by Kenma, and clamped down on both the plant's magic and his own. Reluctantly, the plant let go, and returned the magic it had stolen.

Several minutes passed in this exchange, but to Kageyama it felt like a lifetime. He finally opened his eyes, and was greeted by a friendly little sprout sitting in a pile of soil.

Kenma let go of Kageyama's hand, and he knelt in front of the plant. "That worked out."

Kageyama felt light all of a sudden. "It did."

Kenma's eyes flicked to him, and Kageyama swore he saw him smile.

 

* * *

 

Kenma made it a habit to help Kageyama with his magic once a week, and it was always the same day: Friday. Fridays had turned into Sugawara and Kuroo's 'date night', for lack of better terms, and Kageyama was often the one Sugawara instructed to lock up. He didn't mind, because this meant he and Kenma could practice in the comfort of the store. Kageyama broke pots more often than not, which he didn't want anyone else to know.

A week passed in this fashion, and Kageyama could tell his control was getting better. He still didn't trust himself to use magic _alone_ , but he didn't need Kenma's help immediately when something went wrong.

Kenma always grabbed Kageyama's hand when he needed assistance, and he didn't know how to feel about it. Kenma didn't seem like a touchy person, especially compared to Hinata,  who usually just grabbed Kageyama's arm or shoulder. Kageyama didn't _mind_ Kenma holding his hand, but he couldn't help but wonder about the implication.

Kageyama wasn't well versed in romance, but he knew the typical implications of holding someone's hand.

... Maybe he was just overthinking it.

Kageyama stared out the window and watched people walk on by, but his thoughts kept turning back to Kenma and the hand-holding.

Once, Kageyama had grabbed Kenma's hand first. He nearly pulled away when he felt Kenma flinch, but Kenma had an iron grip that wasn't easy to escape from. Kageyama hadn't thought about at the time, but he remembered that Kenma's face was suspiciously pink that evening.

Speaking of evening... Kageyama noticed that it was nearly time for the store to close. He was surprised Sugawara hadn't 'accidentally' wandered into the front room yet.

"Hey, Kageyama."

Speak of the devil. "Kuroo-san isn't here yet."

Sugawara blinked. "I just said hi."

"I know you came to see if Kuroo-san was here." Kageyama saw two familiar figures near the shop, and waited.

"I didn't come to the front _just_ for Kuroo-" Sugawara stopped talking the moment the store's bell rang. "Back so soon?"

"You know me," Kuroo said nonchallantly, and made his way to the counter with Kenma in toe. "Dinner tonight?"

Sugawara pretended to think, but nodded. "I'm beginning to think this isn't about buisiness."

"It... kind of never was," Kuroo said as the two of them left, and Kageyama heard Kenma snort.

"He's being more obvious than usual."

"I think its working on Sugawara-san," Kageyama replied. "He keeps coming to the front of the store even though its not his shift."

Kenma nodded, and glanced at the door behind the counter. "... What do you have in the back?"

"A break room, supply room, and potions room." Kageyama said, and wondered if he wasn't supposed to let anyone know that.

"Hmm." Kenma crouched in front of a familiar plant. "Are you ready?"

"Lme lock up-"

"Kageyama! I got a really big tip today!" Hinata burst in through the front door, and Kageyama felt his blood pressure rise. "Lets get ramen!"

"Hinata! You're supposed to use the back door!"

"I keep forgetting!" Hinata realized Kenma was here. "Kenma-san, what are you doing here?"

Kenma stood and brushed his pants off. "I come here on Friday to help Tobio with his magic."

"Oooh, what do you two do?" Hinata asked, strangely curious.

Kageyama didn't want him getting any weird ideas. "He just helps me practice."

"That's so cool! I want to see!"

Kageyama didn't know how well he'd be able to do with an audience, let alone such a loud one. Nonetheless, he locked up the front without complaint. Hinata, meanwhile, chattered to Kenma about his day, and Kageyama got to witness another one of Kenma's rare smiles.

"Are you finally ready?" Hinata asked when he noticed Kageyama standing stille. "Come on, I want to see some magic!"

"Idiot, this isn't a performance or anything." Kageyama replied, but noticed Kenma quietly stand beside him. "Give me a moment."

Hinata nodded eagerly, and Kageyama closed his eyes to concentrate.

He opened them after a minute, and watched the plant grow in front of him. Finding the right amount of magic to give it had been a challenge, especially since Kageyama's magic had grown. He watched the plant grow a few inches with satisfaction, and remembered the first time he had done this.

Kageyama was around five when he first figured out how to 'play' with the plants. Even before discovering his magic he considered them his friends, but the moment he got to 'play' with them he went overboard. His untrained magic was natural food for the plants, and he watched them grow in a tall circle around him. At first Kageyama had been elated, because this meant he would be the best at hide and seek, but soon he realized he couldn't _get out_. It had taken the rest of the coven hours to realize he was missing, and even longer to find him. By the time they got him out, it was already dusk.

Kageyama realized that situation was similar to his flight from the coven. He wished he would have left sooner.

He realized the pot had broken again, and Kageyama felt Kenma grab his hand. Kageyama thought he'd be able to handle it, but then he heard _more_ pots break. That couldn't be good.

Kageyama concentrated on controlling his magic, and felt Kenma guide him. He was doing well, but it didn't seem to work.

Then, he felt another type of magic start to mingle.

Kageyama didn't recognize it as Hinata at first, it felt so _foreign_ compared to his and Kenma's. He realized it had to be him considering his hand was on his Kageyama's shoulder.

Hinata was clearly trying to help, but he was more lost than Kageyama. After a moment, he seemed to innately realize what Kenma was trying to do, and together the two helped Kageyama steer his magic back inward. They even managed to get most of the excess magic that had leaked into the nearby plants.

Kageyama opened his eyes and realized he had fallen on the floor, face covered in dirt from a now-broken pot. He coughed and tried to clean it off with his apron, but that didn't seem to work. Kenma and Hinata seemed no less worse for wear, although Hinata's hair was still frizzing and Kenma's pupils were slit.

"So?" Hinata asked, voice suddenly loud. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Kageyama grunted. "That happens sometimes."

He felt so frustrated and embaressed. Not only did this happen, but it _had_ to happen in front of Hinata. He'd never hear the end of it.

"Bullshit. You probably thought about the past again." Hinata clicked his tongue. "You know that happens _every_ time your magic gets out of control, right?"

Kageyama blinked. "It does?"

Hinata looked irritated. "You don't tell me every time, but I know. You get this _look_ on your face when you think about the past."

"Oh." Kageyama wondered why he hadn't realized sooner.

Hinata then turned to Kenma. "I'm sorry for butting in. I probably didn't help."

Kenma appeared just as confused as Kageyama felt, but shook his head. "What happened in your past?"

Kageyama tried to rub the dirt off his face, and didn't answer him.

Hinata nudged Kageyama's shoulder. "I want to know too."

"If you want me to leave, I will," Kenma said.

"No, its fine." Kageyama sighed; he knew he would have to talk about it one day. "... I ran away from my coven over a year ago. I didn't get along with anyone there, and they didn't like me either. But it was okay since I had my plants." Kageyama took a deep breath, and struggled to stay on track. "The others played a prank on me, though. They charmed my plants not to respond to my magic, and it threw everything out of balance."

"No matter what I tried, my magic didn't get better. I didn't think it would _ever_ get better, so I left."

He was surprised that the plants stayed tame throughout that whole story. Kageyama felt like dying just recounting what had happened to him. Losing his magic had been the hardest thing he ever experienced.

Kageyama kept staring at the floor, and thus didn't have time to react to Hinata throwing himself at him. "W _hy_ didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"It's not important-"

"-Of course its important!" Hinata insisted, and wrapped his arms around Kageyama in a hug. "That sounds horrible. I'm sorry that you had to deal with that alone."

"You know you've got friends now, right?" Hinata said after a second, voice quiet. "You've got me, Kenma-san, Sugawara-san, and Ennoshita-san! And many other people who like you."

"You're not alone any more, Kageyama."

Kageyama felt his eyes burn, and he took another deep breath. He didn't want to cry in front of other people, but after a moment he realized he had no choice. There were tears running down his face and into Hinata's jacket, and Kageyama pinched his eyes closed and tried to brush them off.

Hinata realized what was happening, and he pat Kageyama's back. "Its okay to cry, you know."

Kageyama sniffled, but still tried to hide his tears. Hinata hummed soothingly, and after a moment he let go of Kageyama. "Feel better?"

Kageyama rubbed his face on his sleeve, and tried to calm himself down. "Yeah."

"Good," Hinata looked satisfied, and stood up.

Kageyama realized that Kenma had been sitting quietly the entire exchange, and his face burned.

"I'm going to go back to the apartment and make dinner. Head back when you're ready, okay?"

Kageyama nodded, and watched Hinata leave.

Kenma cleared his throat suddenly, and made a move as if to stand up. "I'll get going too-"

"Wait!" Kageyama grabbed the sleeve of Kenma's hoodie, and the other froze. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Its fine."

Kageyama let go of his sleeve, and hesitated. He then, very carefully, took Kenma's hand. "Thank you. For everything."

Kenma stared at him, and Kageyama stared back. He wanted to turn away, since his face was covered in tear tracks and (probably) snot, but he felt like it was important to keep looking.

Then, slowly, Kenma blinked. His face turned pink a moment later, but he squeezed Kageyama's hand. "Any time."

 

* * *

 

Two weeks later, Kageyama watched a familiar scale tilt back and forth. A lot had happened since he came to Tokyo, and even moreso the last few months. He had thought his magic would remain unstable for the rest of his life, but ever since that night with Kenma and Hinata it had calmed down. His magic still sparked every now and then, and Kageyama still didn't trust himself enough to use it alone, but he felt more confident than he had in months.

He probably didn't need to practice with Kenma anymore, but Kageyama liked to. It gave him an excuse to hang out with Kenma, without Kuroo or Sugawara in the background. Kageyama assumed Kenma enjoyed it too, considering he visited the shop every Friday without fail.

Kageyama heard a door open, and was surprised not to hear a bell accompany it. 'Two Birds, One Stone' had been rather busy lately, though that was mostly due to a rumor that Sugawara had abandoned the shop and disappeared.

That wasn't true, of course. Sugawara had simply been out of town for the past two weeks. Ennoshita wouldn't tell Kageyama _why_ , but he knew he would be back.

"Daydreaming again?" A familiar voice said, interrupting Kageyama's daydreaming..

"Sugawara-san?"

"I'm back!" Sugawara said cheerfully, and he dropped a leather bag in front of Kageyama. "I got some stuff for you-more clippings, but I think you might recognize some of them."

Kageyama opened the bag suspiciously, and his eyes widened when he saw what was inside.

It was plants he had been taking care of in his hometown. "How did you get these?"

"Oh, my friend Tooru owed me a favor." Sugawara smiled. "They still don't know where you are, by the way. Some people think you fell off a cliff and died."

"I did fall off a cliff," Kageyama replied nonchallantly, and he resisted the run to the storage room. "Are you sure?"

"Positive-Wait, what?"

"I didn't _die_ ," Kageyama replied, and tied the bag shut. "Is that where you went?"

"Oh, I went there and a few other places," Sugawara said airily. "Its hard to find a good town to gamble in."

"You went gambling?"

"Of course I didn't-Kageyama, you _actually_ believed me." Sugawara coughed suspiciously. "I just went ingredient hunting. Seriously."

"In rural towns?"

"That's where the best ingredients are," Sugawara tilted the scale, and watched it try to balance. "Anyways, what did I miss?"

"Kuroo-san kept asking where you were."

"I'm not surprised," Sugawara said dryly, but his face turned pink. "He should be here by now..."

Kageyama didn't know why Sugawara thought that, but he didn't have much time to wonder. Kuroo barged into the shop a mere moment later, breathless. "You're back!"

"I wasn't gone for long-"

"-Shit, I should've gotten you flowers or something. I didn't think you would return so soon-"

"-Kuroo, honestly, my shop _sells_ flowers. Why would you need to get any?"

"Its the thought that counts!" Kuroo insisted, and Kageyama grabbed his bag and disappeared into the storage room.

He'd leave the two lovebirds alone. Kageyama had some clippings to plant.

Most of the plants Kageyama recognized as his own, but there was one that was different. Kageyama wondered if Sugawara had picked a random weed by accident, but he soon realized what it was.

It was a honeysuckle plant he had been preparing to grow before he left. Kageyama had no idea how it survived, or why anyone would try to preserve this, but he knew he had to plant it first.

Kageyama prepared a pot with a trellis, and waited for Kuroo and Sugawara to leave. He had an idea that needed the plant, and he didn't want anyone to see it just yet.

An hour passed, and Kageyama was about to give up hope and close the shop.

Fortunately for him, he heard a tentative opening of the door. "I thought you were closed already."

"I would have, but Sugawara-san showed up. Kuroo-san took him on a date," Kageyama flipped the sign to 'closed' and locked the door behind Kenma. "I want to show you something."

Kenma tensed up, but nodded. Kageyama realized how that statement could be taken. "I-Its nothing bad. We got a new plant in, I wanted to show it to you first."

"Oh," Kenma sighed slightly, and looked more relaxed. "Okay."

Kageyama nodded, and hauled the honeysuckle pot from behind the cashier desk. He placed it in the center of the room, and took a deep breath.

He wanted to get it right from the start. Kageyama carefully fed magic to the plant, and thought about his relationship with Kenma. He didn't know what to classify it as, mostly because he wasn't sure what he felt for Kenma. He was different than a friend, but nonetheless valuable. Kageyama wanted to see him smiling, like most people do with their friends, but he also wanted to be the one to make him smile. He wanted to be around Kenma constantly, just so he wouldn't miss out on any of his happiness.

Kageyama may have been lying when he said he didn't know how he felt about Kenma. He knew he liked him... A lot.

Maybe even romantically.

Kageyama watched Kenma's eyes widen as he watched the plant grow, and his heart skipped a beat.

Definitely romantically.

He hoped Kenma felt the same.

In no time at all, a fully-grown honeysuckle vine stood before them. Its flowers bloomed proudly out of the trellis, and Kageyama could already smell their sweetness.

He hadn't grabbed Kenma's hand the entire time, but he did now. Kenma stared at the hand first, and then Kageyama. "You didn't need my help."

"I didn't," Kageyama mustered up his courage, and continued. "Thank you. You've been there and helped me with my magic and just. Thank you."

"This is the second time you've thanked me."

Kageyama flushed. "Again. Thank you again-" He was surprised when he felt chapped lips against his own, and nearly stopped breathing.

Kenma pulled away after a second, and Kageyama was surprised to see his face was red. "... Your welcome."

Kageyama didn't know what to say, and he worried he was making a scary face. He touched his lips, and realized he was smiling instead.

Kenma smiled back, and his grip on Kageyama's hand tightened. "We should go out."

"O-Out?"

"Somewhere. On a date." Kenma finally dropped his gaze, and his next words were almost tentative. "As boyfriends."

"Oh," Kageyama had never felt more relieved and confused in his entire life, and he paused before he continued speaking.

"I'd love to."

 

**Author's Note:**

> It feels rushed toward the end and I had Plans but ran out of time so... sorry.  
>   
> I know I didn't wrap up everything I wanted to in this fic, but that's because I'm considering writing a sequel sometime in the future.  
>   
> In the mean time though, feel free to hit me up on [twitter](http://twitter.com/transtobio) or [tumblr](http://transtobio.tumblr.com) if you have any questions/want to know more about this fics universe!


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